


Red Dresses and Pink Confessions

by JadeJem



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Christmas, F/M, Fluff, Mari got a lotta cousins, Marichat, Miraculous Ladybug - Freeform, adrienette - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-20
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2019-03-07 02:03:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13424382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadeJem/pseuds/JadeJem
Summary: "Truth," Adrien responds, his innocent ignorance saving Marinette from a buttload of embarrassment.Nino's expression falls. "Aww. You're no fun. Hmm, okay. Is it true that... Marinette's the prettiest girl in the room?"'Oh, come on!' Marinette pterodactyl screeches internally. 'There's no way that's true! My cousins are practical goddesses! No fair, Nino!'Adrien's cheeks pinken, and he scratches the back of his neck, avoiding Marinette's gaze. "Y-yes."Ivonne, Fleur, Melani, and even Fang Fen coo, not helping at all with Marinette's complete and utter shock. She stares at Adrien, mouth agape as he steadily avoids her gaze, cheeks darkening further.Well, her ego just got bumped up, like, eight thousand notches.





	Red Dresses and Pink Confessions

**Author's Note:**

> *tosses bone* take it

"Are you ready for this?"

"No."

"EH! Wrong answer, Dupain-Cheng."

"Do you want me to lie?"

"Yes."

"Fine. Then yes, Alya. I'm ready."

"That's the spirit!" Alya cheers, releasing her vipor-like grip on Marinette's petite shoulders.

Marinette relaxes slightly, rolling her neck and shoulders until one of them pops unpleasantly. She shivers in disgust and collapses onto the heavily decorated living room couch. Lights are strewn across the ceiling, and little paper snowflakes dangle from the ceiling. The massive Christmas tree is planted in a pretty green pot right next to the TV. The whole place screams 'Christmas Party on Christmas Eve.'

Alya plops down next to her and lightly pushes her shoulder. "C'mon, girl. You've got this! You've already slow-danced with the guy. You can give him a Christmas present _,"_ Alya encourages, patting her best friend's knee.

With a sigh that reaches deep into her soul, Marinette leans her head on Alya's shoulder. "I know. But what if he doesn't like it?"

"He will," Alya states confidently, batting Marinette's worries away with a wave of her hand.

"Okay. Thanks, Alys."

"Anything for my girl," Alya says, patting Marinette's shoulder before standing up, letting Marinette topple sideways on the cushion. "Now let's get up and go get ready! We've been in our Christmas pajamas all day."

Marinette giggles and allows Alya to pull her off the couch. The two make their way upstairs to 'get ready' before the boys show up.

"Time check?" Marinette asks over her shoulder, feeling different fabric patterns in her closet with her hands.

Alya, shirt half-on, glances at the clock turned away from Marinette. "Six o' four. Should be here any minute."

Marinette frantically pushes clothes on hangers in different directions, searching for something at least _half_ decent to wear.

"I like the red dress," Alya's voice says. Marinette turns around and follows where Alya is pointing.

There, in the very back of her closet, lays a simple red dress. Marinette makes a grab for it, mercilessly shoving other clothes standing in her way to the side. She pulls the silky and elegant choice out and holds it up to herself. Its skirts reach just above her knees, and Marinette grins.

"This is perfect."

"I agree," Alya says, sliding into a pair of women's black dress suit paints to compliment her emerald-colored blouse. "You're going to rock the life out of that outfit."

Marinette pulls a weird face at Alya's wording before dissolving into excited giggles. She slips out of her Christmas jammies and pulls the beautiful red dress over her head.

Alya squeals and makes a little 'twirl' motion with her pointer finger. "Spin around!"

The bluenette complies and slowly turns in a circle. Alya's squealing intensifies.

"YOU'RE SO BEAUTIFUL, OH MY GOD! MY BEST FRIEND IS A GODDESS!"

"Alya, stop," Marinette giggles, blushing profusely at her best friend's praises.

Suddenly, the doorbell rings. Marinette exchanges a panicked look with Alya.

"My makeup!"

"My hair!"

They screech both things simultaneously and sprint towards the bathroom.

Marinette dives for her brush and pulls it through her tangled curls as fast as she possibly can, cringing when she runs into particularly nasty knots. After what feels like lifetimes of brushing, she hurriedly reaches for her small tube of mascara, slathering on a couple of quick coats.

"Done!" Marinette chimes, slapping the counter.

"Ahhhh," Alya groans, dragging the curling iron through her hair. "I'll be down in a few."

"No problem," Marinette chirps, leaving the bathroom and closing the door behind herself.

Tikki pops up and sits on Marinette's shoulder. "You look so pretty!"

Marinette bats her hand. "Thanks, but stay low, Tikki! Never know who might see you."

She slips into a pair of black heels and smiles at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes widen when she sees her hair.

"Crap!" she hisses, speed-walking over to her dresser. "Hair ties! I need hair ties!"

The doorbell echoes through the house again.

"Marinette!" Sabine calls from down in the bakery, her voice bouncing off of the walls. "You're the party host! Get the door!"

"Just a second, Maman!" Marinette shouts back, panic settling in her stomach.

"Just leave your hair down! You look great, Marinette!" Tikki insists, floating in front of Marinette's face with her big indigo eyes blinking innocently at the bluenette.

Marinette groans and stalks over to the trapdoor. "I'll have to take your word for it."

She hurries down the stairs as fast as one can go in heels and skitters to a stop in front of the front door. Relinquishing a sigh, she smooths out the beautiful fabric of her dress, combs a couple of fingers through her hair, and opens the door.

"Marinette-a!" Grandmama exclaims, her wrinkled face stretching in delight as her arms raise in the air, ready for a hug.

"Grandmama!" Marinette replies with equal fervor, taking the small woman into her arms.

The petite Italian woman waddles past Marinette, her eccentric Christmas attire blending in perfectly with Marinette's quaint living room. Two of Marinette's older cousins, Fleur and Seraph, step forward from the hall, each giving Marinette a hug before walking past her. Their younger sister, Melani, follows, exchanging cheek-pecks with Marinette.

Similar arrivals of family members and close friends happen for the next fifteen minutes or so. Alya had come out of the bathroom about five minutes into the greetings and has been conversing with Marinette's cousins (both older and younger) ever since.

After what feels like greeting the thousandth cousin/aunt/uncle/grandparent, the Dupain-Cheng household is chock-full of family and friends, and Tom and Sabine kindly step in and take over.

Marinette speed-walks away, relieved to be done with greeting committee duty. A grin stretches her face when her older cousins wave her over.

"Finally done being the welcoming party?" her cousin, Ivonne, laughs, patting Marinette on the shoulder.

Marinette laughs as well, nodding. "Yeah. Thank God for that."

"Is it not nice to see all the family?" Fang Fen, her beautiful Chinese cousin, asks in proper French, her Chinese accent heavy in her words.

"No, no!" Marinette says quickly, waving her hands back and forth. "I love seeing everyone! There are just... so many of them," she explains, smiling nervously.

Fang Fen nods in understanding, her long black hair bouncing. "Ah."

"Can we go up to your room, Marinette?" Fleur queries, pointing up the stairs.

Marinette looks around warily, searching to see if Adrien or Nino had made their appearance when she hadn't been looking.

When she doesn't see them, she nods. "Sure."

The eight teenagers squeeze their way through the mass of relatives and hurry up the stairs. Hai Heng, Fang Fen's twin brother, holds the trapdoor open for everyone to climb through.

"Xièxie," Marinette thanks him, inclining her head as she walks past. He grins at her, eyes glinting in amusement.

"Okay," Alya says when everyone crowds into the space, leaning against random furniture, "what do we want to do?"

"We could play Bouillotte if you have cards," Ivonne suggests, referring to the poker-like game with a shrug of her shoulders.

"What is that?" Hai Heng queries, his strangely tall figure leaning against Marinette's desk.

The trapdoor suddenly opens, and a familiar head of black hair pops into sight, followed by a pair of chocolate eyes.

"Sorry we're late," Nino apologizes, ruffling his tux as he steps through.

Adrien follows him, and Marinette feels her mouth fall open.

His hair, usually perfect, is even more perfect combed back into a cowlick. His suit (though it looks just like every other guy's tux) fits him in all of the right places, showcasing his well-built arms and slim form.

_He's gotten... meatier._

The speculation makes Marinette blush.

"Hey!" Alya exclaims, covering for the slightly out-of-commission bluenette. "Guys," she turns towards the mixed group of Chinese and French cousins, "this is Nino Lahiffe." She jabs a thumb at Nino, who winks and leans an arm on Adrien's shoulder. "And this is Adrien Agreste." She jabs her other thumb at Adrien, who grins and waves.

"Adrien Agreste?!" Melani, who's been quiet up until this point, screeches, eyes wide and disbelieving.

Adrien's expression turns uncomfortable, and he runs a hand through his hair. "Yep. I'm Marinette's friend," he explains, pointing at Marinette.

Marinette swiftly approaches the fourteen-year-old girl who looks like she's about to suffer from cardiac arrest. "Hey, hey, Mel. It's okay. He is just a person. Please refrain from fangirling."

"That's Adrien Agreste!" Melani hisses none-too-quietly, looking frantically between Adrien and Marinette with a wild glint in her eyes.

"Quit making a fool of yourself, sister," Fleur tuts, whacking her younger sister's arm.

Melani glares at Fleur, her light blue eyes turning icy. "Says the one with pictures of him plastered all over her—"

"Okay, sisters. That's enough," Seraph, the oldest of everyone in the room, quips, holding a hand up.

"What are you even doing up here?" Fleur queries dryly. "I thought that you were too cool to hang with us 'kids' now that you're eighteen."

"He's only a year older than you, stupid," Melani snaps harshly.

The three overly-beautiful blonde siblings have a glare-off, and Marinette shifts uncomfortably, not liking the palpable tension hanging in the air.

"They are making me confused," Fang Fen murmurs to her twin, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Seraph clears his throat and looks away from his sisters. "In my recent trip to America, we played a very fun game called 'Spin the Bottle.' We could try that."

"How do you play?" Marinette asks, intrigued by the idea of playing an American game.

"Well," Seraph pauses, uncertainty twisting his expression, "in the original version, you're supposed to spin the bottle and kiss whoever it lands on. Since we're all cousins, that'd be weird. There was another game I played called 'Truth or Dare.' How about we just spin the bottle and ask 'Truth or Dare' to whoever it lands on?"

"I've played that!" Ivonne exclaims, green eyes glittering excitedly. "It's really easy. You can ask or dare them to do _anything."_

Marinette taps her chin. "Anything?"

"Anything," Ivonne and Seraph confirm in sync.

"Sounds fun to me!" Alya cheers, mischief pooling into her dark orbs. "I can fetch a bottle." And with that, she's pulling the trapdoor open and ducking down the stairs.

"Are there any limits to what you can ask?" Adrien queries, head inclined towards Seraph.

Seraph shrugs. "I don't know. Should we set limits?"

"Nah," Nino chimes, waving the suggestion away with his hand, "it'll be more fun this way."

"What if we don't want to answer?" Hai Heng asks, brow creasing in worry.

"You have to tell the truth," Ivonne states, shrugging. "That's the point."

"I don't think I want to play," Fang Fen says shyly, her hair working as a thick curtain when she looks down at her lap.

"Ah, c'mon. It'll be fun!" Melani states enthusiastically, sitting criss-cross-applesauce on the hardwood floor.

The trapdoor is thrown open, and Alya crawls through, momentarily allowing for the adult's voices to carry up the stairs. Bottle in hand, she carefully lowers the heavy wooden door and stands to her full height, grinning.

"Who's ready to play?"

***   *   ***

"Ivonne, Truth or Dare?" Fleur asks, a silly grin showcasing her perfect rows of teeth.

Ivonne mirrors her cousin's expression, delighted. "Dare."

"Hmm." Marinette watches in amusement as Fleur's expression curls into something much more... mischievous. "I dare you to go the rest of the night without your panties on."

"Fleur!" Melani hisses, giggling hysterically.

"You can't possibly be serious!" Ivonne screeches, cheeks turning a deep scarlet.

"That's too far, Fleur," Seraph chides, his tone as serious as ever.

Marinette exchanges an amused look with Alya.

"Duuuude," Nino drawls, cracking up, "I need to hang with you guys more."

"That is not appropriate," Fang Fen murmurs, her own cheeks pinking. "Father would beat me if I ever did that."

The room goes awkwardly silent.

"Fine," Fleur finally says, disappointment scrawled across her expression. "I dare you to... have a make-out session with one of Marinette's stuffed animals."

"Noo!" Marinette laughs. "Not Mister Cuddles!"

"Weirdo," Ivonne murmurs, standing from her spot around the circle and making her way towards Marinette's bed.

Adrien, who's sitting next to Marinette, leans in close and whispers, "Your cousins are a lot of fun."

Marinette tries really hard not to blush and mutters, "You should see them drunk."

She looks at him to see his expression. Adrien's eyes blow wide in shock, a laugh hidden behind his slacked jaw. "You're joking."

"Nope," Marinette giggles. "It was on Fleur's fourteenth birthday. She's a really loud drunk."

Adrien chuckles, and Marinette internally pats herself on the back.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" everyone begins chanting, watching Ivonne pick up one of Marinette's bears and eye it warily.

After a moment or two, Ivonne puckers her lips and dives in.

The room explodes with laughs ranging from giggles to hyena cackles. Even _Seraph_ cracks up.

When the deed is done, Ivonne chucks Marinette's bear and marches back to her spot, blushing.

"Alright, alright," she snaps, grabbing the bottle resting in the middle of the circle. "You've had your laughs. Better wish you're not who this lands on, Fleur."

Ivonne spins the bottle with a flick of her wrist. It twirls in perfect circles, and everyone leans away from it to try and escape getting landed on.

Finally it slows to a stop.

On Marinette.

"Ah, crap," Marinette exclaims, scowling at everyone when they release breaths of relief. The bottle hasn't been so rude as to land on her yet, and she's been hoping it'd stay that way.

If only her luck was so good.

"Ohoho," Ivonne chuckles darkly, tapping her fingers together with a shit-eating grin on her face. "This is gonna be a good one. Truth or Dare, Mari?"

Marinette, too scared to even _consider_ picking Dare, squeaks, "Truth."

Ivonne smirks. "Is it true that you have a crush on someone in this room?"

_HBHCFDVSOYFUGWEOYFUVGWOYFGVOWYGBV TRAITORRRRRR!_

Marinette's eye twitches. "N-no."

"BEEP!" Melani squawks obnoxiously. "My lie detector is going nuts right now. Tell the truth, Marinette." She winks, and Marinette's stomach falls out from under, terror reeling in her heart and mind.

Everyone stares at her expectantly, _knowingly_ , even—all except for Adrien, who looks severely confused.

After a very silent moment, Marinette whispers, "Yes."

"I'm sorry?" Ivonne queries evilly, practical devil horns sprouting out of her hair.

"Yes!" Marinette repeats, much louder than previously. "Yes, alright? Moving on!"

She clears her throat and tries insanely hard not to look at Adrien. She spins the bottle, and it lands on Nino.

"Truth or Dare, Nino?"

Nino grins. "Dare."

Marinette, still humiliated, thinks long and hard on her dare before a malevolent smirk graces her lips. She blinks innocently at Nino, who suddenly looks _very_ uncomfortable.

"I dare you to kiss Alya for ten seconds," she states proudly, grin widening at Alya's expression. "On the _lips_."

"Th-that's got to be a rule violation of _some_ sort," Alya sputters, flailing her hands wildly.

"Not particularly. No one ever said we couldn't kiss one another," Seraph reasons serenely, shrugging.

"You two would be cute couple," Hai Heng states in his stiff French, a shy smile curling his lips.

Marinette snorts and slaps a hand over her mouth, giggling when Nino and Alya glare at her simultaneously.

"Get on with it, then!" Fleur nags excitedly, balancing her elbows on her knees and leaning forward.

"So pushy," Melani mocks, earning a slap from her older sister.

Marinette meets gazes with Adrien, who looks like he's working out a puzzle in his head. He looks between Alya and Nino, then Marinette, then back to their friends, then back again.

Suddenly, his eyes widen a fraction.

_Well, shit._

"This changes nothing," Alya states, engaging in small 'pre-kiss' conversation with Nino, who's looking like he'd rather be anywhere else.

"No, totally," Nino confirms, shaking his head. "Nothing will change..."

Marinette has the strange urge to facepalm so hard, she'll leave fingerprints of her forehead.

"Kiss!" Fang Fen suddenly shouts, surprising the room. She blushes and sinks into herself again. "Take time that is yours."

Nino clears his throat. "Nothing changes."

"Not a thing," Alya confirms, inclining her head in a quick nod.

"Just do it already," Ivonne demands, rolling her eyes.

Nino rocks forward onto his knees, gulping loud enough for Marinette to hear. She covers her mouth and giggles when he touches Alya's cheek.

"Not how I wanted to do this," Nino mutters, barely loud enough to catch wind of.

Alya opens her mouth to say something, a confused frown capturing her expression, but Nino leans in and kisses her before she has the chance.

The room goes dead-silent as everyone looks away awkwardly, Marinette included. She counts to ten on her fingers before turning around again. "Okay, guys!" she chimes awkwardly. "Time's up!"

Her friends slowly part, expressions unreadable.

"See," Fleur says smugly, "that wasn't so hard."

Nino, a light blush dusting his cheeks, mutters something under his breath before he spins the bottle.

"Adrien, my man!" Nino whoops, eyes narrowing dangerously at Marinette as he throws an arm around Adrien's shoulder. "Truth or Dare?"

_I feel like I say this too often, but this is how I die._

"Truth," Adrien responds, his innocent ignorance saving Marinette from a buttload of embarrassment.

Nino's expression falls. "Aww. You're no fun. Hmm, okay. Is it true that... Marinette's the prettiest girl in the room?"

 _'Oh, come on!'_ Marinette pterodactyl screeches internally _. 'There's no way that's true! My cousins are practical goddesses! No fair, Nino!'_

Adrien's cheeks pinken, and he scratches the back of his neck, avoiding Marinette's gaze. "Y-yes."

Ivonne, Fleur, Melani, and even Fang Fen coo, not helping at all with Marinette's complete and utter shock. She stares at Adrien, mouth agape as he steadily avoids her gaze, cheeks darkening further.

_Well, my ego just got bumped up, like, eight thousand notches._

A blush explodes across Marinette's face, and she covers her mouth to keep herself from screaming.

_Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my GOD. Adrien thinks I'm pretty! The prettiest of all of my gorgeous cousins!_

"I'm not going to take offense to that because that was the cutest thing I've seen all day," Alya states as Adrien reaches for the bottle.

He cringes, cheeks still dark as he spins the bottle.

The group continues playing this game for the next ten minutes or so before Sabine is peeking through Marinette's trapdoor and telling them that the food is ready.

Mind still reeling, Marinette jumps into the single-file line forming for food.

After piling on dish after dish onto her plate, she approaches her mother. "Maman?" Sabine turns around and smiles, looking stunning in her pink attire. "Where are the teenagers going to eat?" she queries, motioning at the long table stretching across the room. Almost every seat is taken by either an adult or a child, leaving the teens standing at the edges of the room, not sure what to do with themselves.

"They can eat in your room as long as you say grace," Sabine says, kissing Marinette's cheek.

Marinette beams. "Thanks, Maman. Guys!" Marinette motions towards her room, successfully grabbing the teenagers' attention. "We can eat in my room." And with that, she makes her way up the stairs, pushing the trapdoor open and holding it for everyone to step through.

Everyone situates themselves in a circle, and Marinette finds herself sitting in-between Fleur and Nino. "Okay, guys," she directs, reaching for Nino and Fleur's hands, "hold hands with the person next to you so we can say grace."

Once everyone's hands are connected, Marinette closes her eyes and bows her head. "Praise God, from whom all blessings flow. Praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen."

"Amen," the room repeats, heads lifting and forks and spoons clinking on plates as everyone begins to eat.

A bunch of side conversations start, but Marinette can't bring herself to join with all of this delicious food sitting in front of her.

"You're welcome."

Marinette jumps, whirling on Nino, who's got a smug grin on his face.

"And why on _earth_ would I be thanking you?" Marinette snaps, eyes narrowing into slits.

Nino dusts his shoulder off. "Because I got Adrien to admit how pretty he thinks you are out loud."

Marinette's jaw drops, horror striking her. "You knew he'd answer _me?"_

"Well, duh," Nino says, waving her off. "You're exactly his type, and you're beautiful. In fact, I think he even likes you and just doesn't know it."

Just the thought has Marinette squirming in place. "How do you know?"

Nino shrugs. "Guy's intuition. He also talks about you a lot."

"Really?" Marinette gasps, her heart skipping a beat.

Nino presses a finger to his lips. "Shh. Can't tell anyone that I violated the bro-code, 'kay?"

Marinette nods fervently, shocked.

_Could Adrien really have a crush on me?_

Marinette doesn't find out before the end of the evening. After everyone exchanges gifts to open on Christmas Day, the large amount of people begin filing out of the Dupain-Chang residence. Marinette is delighted to exchange with Adrien, who seems more quiet than usual.

Once everyone is gone, Marinette plops down on her bed, surprisingly exhausted. She'd had a blast.

She rolls on her side to see the nightstand clock.

**9:43 PM**

_'Passing out right now wouldn't be too absurd,'_ she reasons internally, eyelashes fluttering shut.

And just as she exhales, there's a light tapping straight overhead.

Marinette pops an eye open, irritation flooding into her fatigued mindset.

_You've got to be kidding me._

She rolls over onto her back and pushes the trapdoor open with her foot, expression flat. Chat grins down at her, even having the audacity to _wave._

"What?" Marinette deadpans.

Chat holds hand to his chest. "That's it? That's all I get? Not a 'Merry Christmas, my favorite super hero! Thank you for coming to visit me because I'm your favorite civilian!'?

Marinette rubs her eyes sleepily. "You're right. I'm sorry. Merry Christmas, Chat. Oh!" Marinette suddenly sits up. "I almost forgot! Thanks for dropping by, actually. I never would've remembered if you hadn't."

She lets the door fall shut and pads down the stairs leading up to her mattress. The _thump_ of her trapdoor falling closed for a second time notifies her of Chat's entrance. As does the squeaking of a body hitting her bed.

She pulls one of the desk drawers open and rummages around for a moment before finally pulling out the wrapped gift. Marinette spins on her heels to see Chat's slacked jaw.

"You got me a Christmas present?" he asks incredulously, looking between Marinette and the package in Marinette's hands.

Marinette jogs up the stairs to her bed and sits down across from him. "I didn't buy it, I made it from leftover material I had from another gift I made someone a while ago," she explains, shrugging. "I figured your ears probably get cold without something to cover them, so." She offers the gift to him, and he takes it, beaming.

"I actually came here to deliver a little gift of my own," Chat states, setting his present aside and reaching into one of his suit pockets. He pulls out a small package no bigger than the palm of his hand and offers it to her.

Marinette takes it, equally as shocked as Chat had been when she had offered him his gift.

"On three?" Chat suggests, grabbing his present and smiling crookedly.

Marinette can't help but smile back. "On three."

"One, two... three!" they chime, tearing into their packages at the same time.

A small black box is revealed, cursive golden writing scrawled across the lid. Marinette's hand finds her mouth as shock palpitantes through her.

_No way._

She carefully lifts the lid to reveal a pair of—what looks to be _pink diamond earrings!_

She gasps and shuts the lid of the box, shaking her head. "No. No way. There's no way I can accept this."

Marinette makes eye-contact with Chat, who's been staring at the baby blue hat she'd made him. Silence conquers the air between them for a straight up _minute._

Finally, Chat asks, "You—you said _you_ made this?"

Marinette frowns at his expression. "Yep. It has my signature on the inside of it," she says, nodding at the hat. "What's wrong?"

Chat shakes his head, the confused expression falling off of his face. "Nothing!" he reassures her quickly. "I love it! I'm just... surprised at your talent, is all."

Marinette's concern morphs into pleasure as she smiles. "Thank you."

"What do you think?" Chat asks, nodding at her earrings. "I noticed that you always wear the same black earrings, so I thought I'd get you something new to try..."

Marinette cringes. "Pink diamonds? Chat, how much did you _pay_ for these?"

Chat's expression turns sheepish. "Money isn't a purroblem fur mew."

Wow, Marinette has never known what real cringing is before this moment.

"I can't accept these," she states, pushing the box back to him.

Chat frowns. "Y'know, Princess, denying a gift is considered to be very impolite."

"They're _pink diamonds_ ," Marinette breathes. "I can't accept them!"

"Well, the store has a no return policy." Chat shrugs. " _I'm_ sure not going to wear them."

_I can't either._

Marinette hesitates. "As much as I want to... I can't take them."

Chat's brow furrows. "Why not? Do you not like them? I can probably trade them—"

"No, no," Marinette cuts him off quickly, "I _love_ them. I just can't... _wear_ them."

"Why not?"

Marinette bites the inside of her cheek, desperately searching for a good excuse. Tikki pops out from behind her computer monitor and begins motioning wildly. "U-um... because.... because... it's a family heirloom!" she blurts, sighing in relief when Tikki grins and nods. "Can't take it off because that's bad luck."

Chat's whole demeanor suddenly changes. "Luck, huh?"

Marinette internally curses herself _. 'Bad word choice, bad word choice!'_

"Did I say luck?" Marinette asks, her tone jumping a couple of notches. "I meant, uh—bad things will happen if I don't wear them, so." She cracks her knuckles nervously. "Common... misconceptions..." Marinette clears her throat and glances at Tikki.

The Kwami facepalms.

Chat rocks forwards onto his knees, learning closer and closer until Marinette is forced to lean back. His eyes narrow suspiciously.

"You know," he finally says, face so close their noses touch, "you look a lot like someone I know."

Marinette's eyes dart to the right before looking back at him again. "No I don't."

Chat stares deep into her eyes, expression indistinguishable. Finally, eyes sparking, he murmurs, "Yes, you _do_."

Marinette, scrambling to come up with something to say, panics and shoves him away by the nose with her pointer finger. "I think you had one too many Christmas cookies, Chaton," she states, looking everywhere but at him.

Chat blinks. "And I think that you're not telling me the truth."

"Wha—of course I am!" Marinette sputters, internally cringing at how fake she sounds.

Chat's expression goes flat, and he cocks an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Mhm, yep!" Marinette confirms, palms becoming sweaty with nerves as she opens and closes them.

"See," Chat starts, his expression becoming amused—delighted, even, "I think you're more than you appear."

Marinette's gaze darts to the right again. "Nope. Just a normal girl with a normal life."

"At first," Chat continues, ignoring Marinette's comment, "I thought it was just mere coincidence. I mean, there are thousands upon thousands of girls in Paris. But is it mere coincidence that you look exactly like her? That you act so similar to her when you're around me? That you have the same breathtaking bluebell eyes that she does?" Chat leans away, falling back onto her mattress and crossing his arms. He shrugs. "That doesn't sound like coincidence to me."

"W-what are you implying?" Marinette queries nervously, tapping her pointer fingers together.

Chat smiles, further amused. "For such a smart girl, you're acting a little dense right now, Princess."

Marinette scowls. "No I'm not! You're making ridiculous accusations that you can't even prove!"

"Fine," Chat says, shrugging, "then take off the earrings."

Marinette's hands automatically go to her ears. "No. I don't have to prove anything to you."

A grin stretches Chat's face. "But you just did."

"No I didn't!" Marinette fumes, hands bunching into fists.

"Then take off the earrings."

"No! I'm not supposed to!"

"Aha!" Chat exclaims triumphantly, pointing a finger at her. "Who's making you wear them?"

"No one! I just don't want to take them off!" Marinette exclaims harshly.

Chat presses his lips into a thin line and raises his eyebrows, unconvinced. "Mhm. It wasn't your Kwami who's waving wildly at you from behind your computer who told you to always keep them on, right?"

Marinette's mouth goes dry. Her tongue feels like sandpaper when she swallows a dry breath. Hell, it's the frickin' _Sahara Desert_ in there!

When she can think of nothing to say, Chat beams. "I knew it! I mean, you sort of gave me a hint, but still!"

Marinette opens her mouth to say something, but nothing comes out.

"Also, why didn't you tell me you made that scarf for me? This whole time, I've thought it was my—" Chat's eyes widen. "—shit."

At first, Marinette lifts her eyebrows, confusion settling in the pit of her stomach. _'What on earth is he—oh.'_

Marinette's face screws up. "No way. I'm trippin'. There is _no way_ that you're—"

"—Adrien Agreste?" Chat finishes, eyes glinting with wild excitement. "Yes, I think there is."

Marinette purses her lips and shakes her head. "Nope. You're lying. Just—no." She continues shaking her head. "No."

"No?" At this point, Chat's having a fiesta. "Wanna bet?"

Marinette cringes. "...no."

**"Plagg,—"**

"Aw, c'mon, Chat! I said no!"

**"—claws in."**

Marinette covers her eyes, flashes of green peeking through her fingertips. She sits in silence for a moment before a pair of warm hands touch hers.

"Mari," he sing-songs, running his thumbs over her knuckles, "you'll never be able to prove if you're right if you don't open your eyes."

"But if I open my eyes, then I'll have to admit that I've been crushing on Chat Noir for the past year!"

_CRAP._

"Well," Chat finally says, sounding _much_ too pleased, "that's a conclusion I didn't piece together until earlier tonight."

Marinette allows herself to peek through her fingers. "You narrowed it down?"

"Well," _Adrien_ starts amusedly, "I knew you didn't have a crush on one of your cousins, and you'd just set Alya and Nino up to kiss... leaving me."

He gently pries her fingers away from her eyes, and Marinette blinks at Adrien Agreste.

_ADRIEN AGRESTE._

And while passing out seems like a very real option right about now, Marinette can't even bring herself to completely process this new information.

"Wait a second," she says, raising her hand in a 'stop' motion. "Are you trying to tell me that I've been head over heels for _Chat Noir?"_

Adrien winks. "Pretty much. That also means that I've been head over heels for my beautiful classmate." He shrugs. "Now my small crush on you makes sense; it was just one gigantic crush on _all_ of you."

See, now this is where Marinette passes out.

**Author's Note:**

> Loved doing this one? Any favorite characters? I liked writing Fleur.


End file.
